Posted on 08/30/2006 5:10:36 AM PDT by unionblue83
The most bizarre element of the two weeks of captivity suffered by Fox News reporter Steve Centanni and photographer Olaf Wiig at the hands of Gaza’s Holy Jihad Brigade was the video that surfaced depicting their conversion to Islam. Even before the journalists revealed that their conversions had been coerced, there were disturbing indications that they were not acting freely. While reading a statement he himself had ostensibly written, Centanni stumbled over words, appeared to puzzle over the handwriting, and seemed to grimace after pronouncing the words “peace be upon him” after the name of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Their messages as new converts to Islam were predictable denunciations of the United States and Israel, combined with emphasis on Islam’s universal call as the solution to the world’s problems. But most jarring was the video editor’s invocation of the favorite Qur’an verse of Western analysts of Islam and terrorism, “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:256). The irony of featuring this verse in a video depicting two forced conversions has been widely noted. In fact, however, the juxtaposition of this verse with the video of Centanni and Wiig was probably not simply transparent deception, as strange as that may seem, and has far-reaching implications.
(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemag.com ...
From a Christian perspective, any kind of confession of allegiance to a foreign god is strictly forbidden. The first centurty early church experienced this repeatedly.
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Um...what would you do if someone had a gun trained at your heart or head? Was Centani a coward? Perhaps. But I wonder what any of us would do under these circumstances. We would like to think we would be brave enough to say no, we won't swear allegiance to Islam, but how many of us are or would be in that situation?
What do you mean by 'forbidden?'
Forbidden by man and religion, perhaps, but not by Christ. That's what's tricky about living in the Age of Grace. We're free to do anything we want. If we 'convert,' however, we shouldn't be surprised if Christ tells the Father, "I don't know him."
I'm glad you said this: I've been wondering the same thing.
I guess all I can do is pray that if I should ever find myself in that situation, I would have the faith and strength of heart to refuse and leave my existence in Christ's gentle hands.
The morons and tough guys on this thread is amazing.
St. Peter denied Christ three times, and rumor has it that he still got into heaven.
I hope I would follow in the martyrs footsteps.
If I would mouth off allegiance to a foreign god then the guilt I would live with to the grave may be worse than the bullet/knife to the throat.
If you falter in difficulties then your faith is weak.
I'd give him the benefit of the doubt that he was just saying that to save his skin.
I'm just not ready to condemn these two gentlemen for doing what they felt they had to do to save their lives under the circumstances. It's not my place to pass judgment. I'll leave that to someone a bit higher up.
Forbidden in the sense that there would come a consequence.
I've never heard of 'trickiness' in the Age of Grace.
Free to do anything we want? Without consequence? Wow.
Your last statement doesn't appear to follow your point.
Leave it to Spencer to give us the straight news on the event.
No condemnation concerning their eternal destiny; however their words are open for judgement.
I've been thinking about this situation a lot, and I've been thinking about St. Peter a lot, wondering what I would do.
I've concluded that I, with my own resources, would have no defense or courage or confidence to keep me from submitting to Islam at the point of a sword. My only strength comes from God, and he would have to give me what it would take to stand up at the appointed time and say "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and in His only Son, Jesus Christ my Lord..."
Peter had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost when he denied the Lord. I have received Confirmation, but somehow it didn't seem to make me bold and courageous like it did the Apostles of the Book of Acts.
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
Well said
If I had been in Centani's place, I would have converted to Islam in a New York minute. Wouldn't have given it a second thought because it was meaningless and God knows it. Steve Cenani need not concern himself with what you and other backbencher Christians fantasize as your reaction to the same circumstances he was facing. You who claim the ornamental armour of the self righteous make a mockery of Christianity. My life is important to me and I would not be easily inclined to toss it away to prove to the likes of you that I fit in the category of your version of martyr. God and I are on the same page about this. Trust me.
Like you -- and, I guess, unlike fox martyr son -- I would find this a difficult decision. It isn't a matter of bearing witness, since if a person refused to convert you can be sure that we would never hear about it. Also, he had to think about his fellow captive.
Of course, we don't know that Centanni has any religion at all. Even if I were an atheist, I think I would still feel that conversion at gun point is a form of mental rape. I admire anyone who declines to cooperate, but I can't bring myself to judge those who grit their teeth and comply.
>>The morons and tough guys on this thread is amazing.
I'm confused, is this one group, or two?
(Drooling on keyboard thininking about working out...)
(It's the thought that counts, right?)
You're free to convert to whatever you wish for whatever purpose.
Meaningless? And God knows it? Wow, you fancy yourself to speak for the knowledge of God; by the way, which God?
I'm not asking for Centani's concern.
I don't sit on the backbench; I sit about half-way down the auditorium; do you go to my church?
Ornamental armour? I've just got my work clothes on.
Lot's of people around me know I'm not righteous; I'm in desperate need of a Saviour, that's why I'm sticking with Jesus. Unlike what you said you would do.
I'm sure your life is important to you as mine is to me. However; I try to realign my thoughts as often as I can to be in proper perspective with the next life.
I'm not willing to trust a person outside of the scriptures that proclaims to speak for the knowledge of God.
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